Igniter for explosive-engines.



R. D. GORDON e L. O. HUDSON.l

IGNITBR FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JAILZ, 1914.

Patented Sept 8,1914.

Aat

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

RAYMOND D. GORDON AND LEE O. HUDSON, OF TULSA, DKLAHOMA.

IGNITER FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGINES.

Application led January 2, 1914.

T 0 all whomI it may Concern Be it known that we, RAYMoND D. Gron- DON and LEE 0. HI'DsoN, citizens of the United States. residing at Tulsa. in the county of Tulsa andState of Oklahoma, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Igniters for Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in igniters for gas engines of the class known as tube igniters, in which the ignition is effected by admitting the explosive mixture of the motor to a tube heated to incandescence.

The especial object of our present improvements is to provide an igniter with means for automatically controlling the supply of gas to the burner from which the ignition tube is heated, so that if the temperature of the igniter goes below a predetermined point, the gas-supply to the burner will be at once increased, thereby maintaining a standard efiiciency.

A further object of our invention is to provide means for controlling the area of the igniter tube which will receive the maximuni application of heat from the burner.

In carrying out the aforegoing and other objects of utility, we utilize the igniter tubevas a thermostat and thereby control, through a series of adjustable levers. a gascontrol valve, and we provide an adjustable member to the burner, and present these features in a preferred form in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this appllcation, and in which the single figure represents a view, partly in elevation and partly in section of a device embodying our complete invention.

Referring to the details of the drawing, the reference character 1 represents a short piece of pipe leading from a suitable supply of gas and leading to one side of a globe valve casing 2, provided with a valve port 2 upon which is adapted to be seated a valve 3 having an upwardly extending stem 3 which is surrounded with an expansion coiled spring 4, adapted to exert sutlicient pressure on valve 3 to keep it from chattering. The spring and valve stemare partially inclosed by a cylinder 5, which is screwed into the top of the valve casing 2, and provided with a cap 5a at its upper end through which the valve stem extends. The end 3b of the valve stem is loosely connected Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

serial No. 809,843.

with the lower end of a rod 6 by a pin coupling 6a which is threaded on the lower end of the rod 6. The upper end of the rod 6 is threaded as at 6" to receive two nuts 7 and 8, respectively.

To the exit opening of the valve casing 2, is connected a pipe 9 which leads to one end of a Bunsen burner tube 10, in which there are a series of holes 1()a controlled by a rotatable shoulder 10". Slidably fitted to the tube 10 is a sleeve l1, to the lower wall of which is secured a thumb screw 12, which extends downwardly and passes through a slot 13a, provided in the lower wall of the cylindrical burner casing 13. This casing is also provided with holes 13 in its outer end andlis secured at its inner end by bolts 13b to the heater 14 at a point over an opening 14a in the adjacent side wall of said heater. The heater is cylindrical in form, and, at its lower end. is provided with a threaded boss 14", which screws into a heater base member 15, which mav be secured in any suitable manner to the engine cylinder. The boss 14 is also interiorly threaded to receive a gland 16" into which is screwed the lower end of the igniter tube 16, which communicates with the passageway 16 in said gland and thereby with the'interior of the base l5. The upper end of the tube 16 is internally threaded to receive the lower end of a thermostatic bar or rod 17, the upper end of which is extended at 17a and extends above the top of the heater 14. The threaded stem 17a is provided with a nut 18 which secures to the rod 17 a lever 19, the end 19b of which is perforated to receive said stem 17. The lever 19 is fulcrumed at 20 on a bracket 20a secured to the wall of the heater at the top and the long end of the lever is provided at its terminal 19 with an opening which receives the threaded portion 6h of the valve stem extension 6.

The operation of the device constructed Substantially as above described will be obvious, but it might be well to state that tht` adjustment of the member 19 upon the valve extension rodi 6 and the igniter tube extension 17, will be made by the operator so that the valve 8 will be held off ot its seat 2 sufficiently to permit a predetermined quantity of gas to pass from the pipe 1 to the pipe 9 and thence through the burner 10 to the interior of the heater 14. The shutter l()b will be manu- -ally adjusted to provide the proper amount of air to the burner 10 to balance the quantity of gas admitted through the valve casing tube. These adjustments will be determined upon the expansion of the rod 17 which vin turn is controlled by the heat of the ignition tube 16, and the heat within the heater 14. Any variation in said temperature will result in the greater or less expansion of the rod 17, and hence the corresponding movement up or down of .the end 19b of the lever 19. As that end of the lever raises through the elongation of the thermostatic bar 17, the opposite end of the lever 19 will be lowered in the ratio represented by the relative lengths of the two arms of the lever, so that the spring 4 will act to lower the valve 3 toward its seat. Any lowering of the temperature in the heater 14 will cause a resulting shrinkage in the barA 17 so that the contractive action of the lever 19 on the spring 4 will be increased, thereby lifting the valve 3 with a resulting increase in the opening in the valve casing 2, through which the gas will pass from the tube or pipe 1 to the tube 9, and thence to the burner 10. It will be obvious also that the sleeve 11 is extended horizontally so that its inner end closely approaches the tube 16, the flame from said tube will be projected directly upon the walls of said tube, Whereas if the tube is retracted to the position indicated in the drawing, the flame will spread and pass up the chimne or heater 14, so that the upper portion o the tube will be in the zone of greatest heat. By adjusting the tube 11 to the tube 10, therefore, we are able to regulate in measure the area of the igniter tube 16, which will first become incandescent and thereby control the distance which the gas must travel from the engine cylinder before it is ignited.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An igniter for explosive engines, comprising an ignition tube, a chimney surrounding said tube provided with an openL ing in its wall, a burner connected with said chimney and communicating with said opening, a pipe communicating with said burner, a valve adapted to control the gas passing through said pipe to said burner, and means connecting said valve with said ignition tube whereby said valve will be automatically controlled, by the heat in said chimney.

2. An igniter for explosive engines, comprising an ignition tube, a chimney sur` rounding the same and having an opening in its side walls, a casing secured to said chimney and communicating with said opening, an adjustable burner mounted in said casing, a gas supply pipe communicating With said burner, a valve controlling said pipe, a thermostat connected with said ignition tube, and means connecting said thermostat with said valve whereby the position of the valve is controlled by said thermostat.

In testimony whereof we ailix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

RAYMOND D. GORDON. LEE O. HUDSON. vWitnesses AARON HUNT, WILEY W. BLANKENSHIP. 

